Seduction is a Fine Art
by Lady Aryun
Summary: I wrote this a long while ago, now just gathered the courage to post it. - Complete -
1. The Pain of Rememberance

Title: Seduction is a Fine Art - Part 1  
  
Rating: PG-13 - O_o?! I wrote something that's rated PG-13?! *faints*  
  
Series: Yoriden Samurai Troopers/Ronin Warriors  
  
Characters: Sh'ten/Anubis and original  
  
Note: I'm taking the Japanese names in this little ficlet that I've done.  
_Dai Masho_ - Grand Demon General  
_Oni_ - Orge, Ogre. It symbolizes Spring.  
_Ko Rai Sei_ - (American Translation) Quake with Fear (It's actually Red Lightning Attack)  
  
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Seduction is a fine art.  
  
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I am a Masho. I have no need for any other feeling but loyalty, anger, and fear: Loyalty to The Master, Anger to those who oppose him, and fear of the Master.  
  
Then why do I feel remorse for this woman and the petulant child? Why do I feel that I must not harm them? Why do I feel as if I know the woman who helps my enemies?  
  
Bah. I am a Masho. I cannot have any other feelings.  
  
I shake my head in wonderment at the way my thoughts trickle through my shield. I should have no feeling and that is truth. I should be a cold, calloused warrior, but yet thoughts slide in and insinuate themselves within my secluded shield.  
  
I pull out the sword from its hiding place beneath my sleeping mat and run my fingers along its edge. A matching beauty once held so lovely a weapon.  
  
I want to cry, to mourn for her, but I cannot. I am a warrior under the Master, and I do not have those emotions…  
  
For a moment when I close my eyes I see the features of that woman with my enemies, her brown hair waving in the wind, but it is not brow, but a rich honey gold. Her eyes are not green, but a brilliant blue that shames the finest gems.  
  
Perhaps that is why I am so tormented.  
  
She is not truly the one I wish. Perhaps she is indeed reincarnated, but knowing her, it is likely false and this is just something else for the gods to torment me with.  
  
Even as I write this, I can see the way her soft honey hair curled, feel the soft touch of her hand upon my cheek, and hear her soft footsteps across the room.  
  
Yet this is not so.  
  
She has been long gone from my world.  
  
Perhaps an explanation is in order.  
  
There was once a woman under the command of Master Argo, and no, 'twas not Kayura. Kayura is nothing but a child, and she always will be to me.  
  
No, this woman was more, and I am sure the name she gave was not her true one.  
  
Shinare.  
  
It truly is fitting that she was called 'death'. Everything she touched would be dead, or more eloquently; anyone who touched her would die. She would have nothing to do with the other Masho, and that was fine by us. We wanted nothing to do with her. Her reputation alone succeeded her, and no one would be near her, or with her. Not even Master Argo would second-guess her judgment, as she was so sound minded.  
  
Her prowess was nothing to mock. If you were stupid enough to cross her path, you had better have been quite sure in your faith, and your place in the universe.  
  
She was the thing of nightmares.  
  
It is truly humorous how things turn out.  
  
Master Argo chose me, last of the four. Anubisu was the first, then Nazza, and the oldest, but last chosen, was Rajura. I was a latecomer to the group, and yet Master Argo wished for me to lead them.  
  
I had experience enough, but it was not right that the other, elder of us be passed up. That is the reason Rajura hates me so. Anubisu and Nazza? Well, they are more good-natured about it. Mostly teasing me. No really harsh things were said between us, but for all intents and purposes, they were against me.  
  
Master Argo insisted that I train under Shinare. Why, I have no clue, but I am loyal, and so I do what my Master commands.  
  
I go to the Mistress of Death.  
  
Surprisingly, she greets me with far less indifference than I believed. She was harsh our first meeting, beating me down in moments. I noticed that her hair was honey, and her eyes blazed with the fire of her spirit when I was pined to the mat.  
  
I pulled myself off the ground, wiping blood from my lips. My eyes narrowed as I watched her, gauging her as she no doubt was gauging me.  
  
My kusari-gama was held lightly within my hands and the furry of being beaten down, time and again, by this mere woman ignited my gift, and as I sprung into the air, I called forth my power.  
  
_"Ko Rai Sei!"_  
  
The weight was thrown from my armor-clad fist and sunk into the ground only to allow several red streaks to envelop the area. The light solidified, and she was encased in several chains, dangling from the ground.  
  
I stepped back and I felt a smile of triumph curve my features, believing that she was in shock.  
  
Sadly, I was the one in for a shock.  
  
I saw her lips quirk in a smile, and suddenly, I was thrown backwards as the chains broke. When I finally rose and pulled my battered body into a defensive stance, she was standing there, watching me with those large and luminous blue eyes.  
  
The small smile still graced her features, and I was in awe. She stood proud; her honey colored hair had fallen free from its intricate coif to tumble around her hips, and she had her sword out pointing to my throat.  
  
And then I fell down, my body no longer supporting me; her eyes followed me as I fell to my side and rolled onto my back, prone.  
  
I looked her body up and down, noticing the gently curving of her waist, the full curve of her breasts, and now thin she was. She was a true perfection of beauty. Her long legs were encased in black leather, and her dark boots came up past her knees. She had a long black vest on that tied quite tightly across the middle of her breasts, almost acting like a corset. The ties stopped right under her breasts and split open to expose the smooth expanse of her stomach. The smooth tops of her breasts were exposed, and upon her left upper breast a silver crescent moon glittered.  
  
She pulled her sword away, those fathomless blue eyes watching me, and she knelt down beside me. Her knees rested beside my hip as she sat back on her heels, watching me. Slowly, her hand reached out to touch my gashed cheek, her fingertips gently resting underneath the wound.  
  
I watched her lean slightly forward, her hair falling around her shoulders and spilling into my hand. I felt the coolness of the soft strands and I closed my fingers slightly, grasping some of threads gently.  
  
She leaned over me, her eyes looking at my face, almost as if she were memorizing it. The hand that was touching my cheek slipped into my hair, wrapping the strands around the slender fingers. She bent further still until her other hand was braced upon my right shoulder.  
  
I watched her as she bent lower, her lips grazing mine in the lightest of touches.  
  
Her lips were soft, warm, and smooth as they softly caressed my own with slightly more pressure. Her right hand slipped under my head as she gently urged me to sit up, her lips still touching mine.  
  
Finally I did as she did bid, and wrapped one hand around her waist, my hand meeting her smooth skin under the vest. She was not as slim as I thought she was, but she had a nice solidness about her that one could hold within both arms.  
  
My battered hand reached up to cup the back of her neck as I slanted my lips across hers. My left hand reached out, cupping her cheek and brushing my thumb across the soft skin.  
  
She pushed back slightly as a smile curved her lips. Her lips brushed against my unwounded cheek before she brushed her cheek against me, almost a kiss in itself.  
  
"Come," she said softly. Her voice was melodic and soft, barely accented. "Let me tend to your wounds."  
  
I nodded, making my way to my feet with a groan. I could scarcely believe it when her arm wrapped around my waist, offering support.  
  
I had to lean against her as I limped. My left ankle was not behaving properly for a warrior and that disappointed me.  
  
So concerned with watching my feet that I did not notice that we had already came to my chambers. Startled, I looked up into my room and up at Shinare.  
  
"I know where all _Dai Masho_ sleep. I am not ignorant of my enemies."  
  
"Am I your enemy?" I watched her as I spoke, seeing a sparkle come to her eyes.  
  
"Perhaps more deadly than the others." With this, she set me down on my sleeping mat as she brushed her cheek against mine again. "Perhaps more so." She laughed slightly as she walked into my small bathroom to retrieve the reserve of cut cloth for bandages and a small bowl of water.  
  
When she returned, I watched her move, her body gliding in an endless rhythm of beats that none but she could hear. "So I am more dangerous?"  
  
She smiled, her eyebrow arching up. "No. I did not say that. I stated that you are more deadly than the others. To me mostly." She laughed quietly, a silken scarf down my skin. "It is through you I will find that which I seek."  
  
My eyes watched her, narrowing slightly at that statement. "And what is it you seek?"  
  
She laughed quietly again, almost a sad sound really. "I cannot say. Only you hold this key."  
  
Focusing on her, my eyes wandered her face and noticed the delicateness of the features. She was indeed very feminine, even in the way she fought. I am not saying that she was too feminine, but you knew when you fought her that she was female. She had that quality about her.  
  
My right hand reached out, brushing her honeyed hair out of her face as she cleaned and bandaged my arm. She started, her eyes wide as she looked at me.  
  
"A beautiful woman such as yourself in a place like this? Why are you here? I am sure there are better things you could have done rather than join Master Argo." My fingers gently brushed against her face.  
  
Her eyes slowly came back to normal as she watched me. They became far away, almost as if she were turning inward. "I really had no choice in such things, _Dai Oni Masho_."  
  
"Surely, you would be able to protest this?"  
  
She laughed that quietly sad laugh and smiled. "Not when fate forces your steps, _Dai Oni Masho._"  
  
"Really?" I arched an eyebrow. "I did not realize that warriors allowed their path to be picked for them."  
  
She laughed again, but this time it had a genuine quality. "Warriors always allow the person to whom they owe filial duty to, to pick their path. If you are loyal to your master, you will answer them unerringly. However, a master should know your limitations and not punish you for doing some good, even if you were not allowed to be there."  
  
"True, but you have no loyalty that I know of to keep you here with Master Argo. Why do you stay?"  
  
"Why do you?" She shot back at me.  
  
"Master Argo helped me attain what I wished, to be the strongest warrior."  
  
Her eyes hardened. "Oh, so you could kill innocent children."  
  
I raised my hands in supplication. "I have not harmed one child." I knew my own eyes were dark and hard. "I would wish nothing to happen to innocents."  
  
"Then why do the troops who follow you attack helpless families and slaughter them?" Her eyebrow quirked up again. "This is what _Master _Argo wishes for me to do. However, I will not allow him to order me around. As for why I am here, what would you suspect?"  
  
My lips pulled down in a slight frown as I watched her. "I honestly do not know. However, I thought you might liked to tell me."  
  
She watched me while something danced within her eyes before she reached out a trembling hand to place it against my cheek. The fingers of her left hand slipped through my hair, feathering it gently. "You are my key, and you just proved it."  
  
She inclined her head, asking permission to sit beside me and I gave it. "Please, sit beside me and speak. I would like to understand if you would allow me."  
  
Her eyes went a little wider as she sat beside me, her hand still upon my cheek. "Do you know your virtue, _Dai Oni Masho_?"  
  
My eyes narrowed slightly. "I did not know ones such as we had virtues. We are supposed to be blood thirsty warriors following our Master's will."  
  
"True, but you are not truly blood thirsty, are you? No, you are a noble warrior. Your virtue is what your soul is trying to tell you. The one thing that was gifted to you when you were created." She reached out her left hand and drew something upon my forehead. "Your virtue, your redeeming quality is unerring loyalty to your master. That is the gift that comes with the yori of the _Oni. _It is the virtue of Spring for you, and nothing but a passing notion. Everything that you are is Spring, and in Spring lies your loyalty of your youth."  
  
Her fingers traced my cheekbone and my eyelid, and then slid down to flutter a trace over my lips. After she was done with that, her hand rose and pulled a few strands of my hair forward. "Even your coloring is that of the Spring. Your hair is the color of cinnamon, and your eyes the color of slate. Your skin is a pale cream. All of these are the colorations that remind me of Spring."  
  
She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around my neck before she lowered her face to my shoulder. Her lips whispered against my neck softly, almost as if I was not intended to hear it.  
  
"You will be my end, Sky Child."


	2. Depths

Title: Seduction is a Fine Art - Part 2  
  
Rating: PG-13 - O_o?! I wrote something that's rated PG-13?! *faints*  
  
Series: Yoriden Samurai Troopers/Ronin Warriors  
  
Characters: Sh'ten/Anubis and original. Still need ideas on her name... Kassanda fits her very well as does Rue, so it's a tossup at the moment. Or it could be Arion. Just 'cause it's a guys name, doesn't mean anything *smiles*  
  
Notes: The translation for the song is at the bottom of the mail. If you want to see the literal translation, which is beautiful in it's own right, then email me and I'll ship it towards yah. If you get the chance, check out the song Kishinda Kakere (Two Small of Pieces) from Xenogears. ^_^  


_Chu_ is Shuten/Anubis' Bishido virtue: Loyalty. Meaning he has devote and utter loyalty to his master.

  
Sh'ten/Anubis's true name, before joining Argo/Talpa, was Koma Toshitada. He was born around Kyoto. ^^  
  
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Seduction is a Fine Art  
  
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I look at the land around me, taking in the trees and the small clearing.  
  
I know this place very well. The trees are tall, gently raising their leafy boughs to the azure sky above as they rain blossoms down upon my head. The grass is soft beneath my bare feet as I walk further into the clearing of golden trees.   
  
With the secluded shelter of the arching branches, lay a pool inlaid with black granite stones. It rose about a foot into the air, and held within was bright blue water. It was barely three feet wide, but it was beautiful nonetheless.   
  
As the wind blew my hair away from my face, I looked around to see if anyone else had come here.  
  
I suppose the gods would be true to their word, but I am cynical by nature when it comes to people in authority promising me things.  
  
I could hear the birds chirping in the trees above me, beautiful flashes of blue and red within the golden nests, and I could hear the soft rustling of the silk that enclosed my body.   
  
Slowly, I sat down at the edge of the well, my feet tucked under my rear and my hands upon the cool granite.  
  
It warmed to my touch as I leaned forward, a few strands of my hair slid from the intricate coif to fall in my face.  
  
My right hand reached out, the fingertips gently touching the center of the water within the well.  
  
"Show him to me," I whispered. "Please."  
  
The water within the well shimmered and became as translucent as ice. It was then I saw a scene flashing within.  
  
At first, it was fuzzy, but then gradually came more and more into focus. I had done this countless times, always checking in on him when he thought I was gone.  
  
I smiled as I saw him for the first time in what seemed like many months.  
  
His helmet was gone; I had seen that the archer broke the leering face, saw the blood that trickled down his face. His hair whipped in the winds as he stood there on the bank of a lake with two of the Troopers.  
  
I was slightly shocked to see that he was wearing the Kaosu's robes, and even more so when I saw how calm and placid he was. It was as if he were at peace.  
  
A smile widened my lips as I saw the homespun cloth around his scarred hands. White against tan was always a lovely combination.   
  
I had never seen anything nobler than my ver in the monk's clothes. I saw him as he watched the two Troopers out of the corner of his eye before he placed his hat back upon his head, securing it with the tie under his chin.  
  
His teal eyes gazed out upon the lake as he walked away from them. He was lost in thought and, as I watched, he sat down on a rock, his feet barely touching the water.  
  
I watched as he leaned forward, the shakujo rested between his knees, his cheek pressed against the cold metal, and his arms wrapped around the staff. His eyes closed and he sighed heavily.   
  
"This is too hard for one person to do, Kaosu. I am fumbling in my duty to you. I am not fit, nor worthy to wear the monk's habit." His eyes closed tightly, his eyelashes spreading delicate shadows across his cheeks.  
  
The pain was clear in his voice as he spoke, and I longed to reach out and gather him up within my arms. Thanks to fate that would never happen. I'd never again touch that strong face and know his love.  
  
With a sigh, he looked out across the lake. "They took away what was most dear to me, and yet I am supposed to sit back and tolerate it. This is supposed to be my penance for things wrong." He laughed slightly. "I suppose you enjoy this. Do you enjoy seeing my heart ripped open and bleeding? Of course you do, otherwise, you would have let me die already."  
  
Another humorless laugh escaped his lips. "Then again, you understand nothing. It is she who changed my mind. It is she who caused my heart to see the truth of who and what I was. I am Koma Toshitada, son of a warrior who died bravely in battle. It was through my folly to control everything that I was brought to heel beneath Argo.  
  
"I was born on May fifth, fifteen fifty-one and am over four hundred and thirty-seven years old. I was lucky enough to see the blossom of Kyoto, be around her might, and be born into her favor."  
  
His voice took on a softer quality, one of infinite sadness. "My mother is the one who named me Shuten Doji. I was always her redtop child. She died not long before I gave into Argo. She was frail and took sick. Nothing could be done to save her, and she only wished to look upon her only son one last time. I was the only gift left after my father died in battle."  
  
He sighed, his eyes opening and looking across the lake. "It is strange. I barely remember her. All that I can is that she was a small, delicate woman with long red hair. She was brought from the West, far away she said, as a gift to the emperor who gave her to my father.   
  
"I remember she always used to laugh when I glowered at the snow, telling it to go away. She always told me to love the snow for what it was, water in disguise. She said that snow protects the innocent seeds yet to sprout, hardens them into fine plants, that I was to be like snow and keep the innocent safe."  
  
His eyes turned skyward as I watched him in his soliloquy, pouring his heart out stronger than he had ever to me. "I am _chu_, loyalty. I always have been thus."  
  
I watched as he shoved his hat back, falling to hang by the cord around his neck.  
  
"I just whish that she were here. She always had time to stop and understand, even though she was the Mistress of Death. Never was she demeaning to any of us _ Dai Masho,_ even though at times we deserved scorn."  
  
He closed his eyes tightly, a tear falling down his high cheek.  
  
I could feel his pain sting my own heart as I watched that lone tear travel his face, and softly, without knowing why, my voice picked up in a long forgotten song of ages past. Singing to soothe his mind and his heart. I could not hold him, yet I hoped that my voice might hold him, as my arms could not.  
  
_"Hyakuoku no kagami no kakera / Chippoke na inochi no tomoshibi / Toozakaru natsukashii kodama yo / Dakedo anata to watashi dake ga / "Kotae" o mitsukedaseru, itsuka / Gin no michi wa dokomademo massugu nobite / Hasshite yukeru - sekai no hate made mo.  
  
"Itetsuita honoo mune ni daite / Aoi yo no soko o tadayou / Itoshii itami ni hikisakare / Anata no na o hoshi ni sasayaku / Akatsuki no beni ni somatte umareta musume.  
  
"Tenshi mo urayamu, ougon no aki ni mau / Jiyuu to akogare dake ga kirameku houkan.  
  
"Hyakuoku no kagami no kakera / Chippoke na inochi no tomoshibi / Toozakaru natsukashii kodama yo / Dakedo anata to watashi to nara / "Kotae" o mitsukedaseru, kitto / Gin no michi wa dokomademo massugu nobite / Hasshite yukou - ashita no mukou e mo.   
  
"Futari wa kiri no ashita ni deai / Yo no shijima ni wakareta / Oreta tsurugi ni saketa tate / Kobosenai namida wa shinzou o sashita mama.  
  
"Subete o oshiyaru, kuroi nagare / Kamigami no chinmoku ga sekai o ooi / Demo anata no sakebi o daremo kikanai / Daremo kikanai.  
  
"Kaze wa susurinaki, umi wa mi o yojiru / Hoshiboshi wa kishimi, toki wa hajikechiru / Mihatenu yume wa itsuka owari / Sou, ai wa eien nanka ja nai.   
  
"Keredo...  
Hyakuoku no kagami no kakera / Chippoke na inochi no tomoshibi / Toozakaru natsukashii kodama yo / Anata to watashi dake ga / "Kotae" o mitsukedaseru, itsuka /Gin no michi wa dokomademo massugu nobite / Hasshite yukeru - sekai no hate made mo / Hasshite yukou - ashita no mukou e mo."_  
  
My last note fell into the empty silence, and my head fell into my hands as I wept.


	3. And She Laughed

Title: Seduction is a Fine Art - Part 3  
  
Rating: PG-13 - O_o?! I wrote something that's rated PG-13?! *faints*  
  
Series: Yoriden Samurai Troopers/Ronin Warriors  
  
Characters: Sh'ten/Anubis and original. I've got her name now, and it'll be explained in the next part *grins*  
  
Notes: No real note here, except that Death probably doesn't laugh much. *smiles* And Anubis's Japanese name, Shuten Doji/Douji can translate into two different things: "Red-Sky-Child" or "Red-top Child". Doiji/Douji is child, more accurately, Kid. It's what the other Masho try to rile and degrade him with since he's so much younger (Shuten/Anubis is 17. The oldest, Rajura/Dais is something like 24.) "The Kid."  
  
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Seduction is a Fine Art   
  
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"Why do you call me that?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Sky Child."  
  
Blue eyes sparkled at me. "Because that is what you are, Sky Child."  
  
I watched her as she brushed back her honey gold locks, hooking them behind her ear. My eyes lingered on her hands, the delicate bone structure and long fingers.   
  
As I watched, she walked closer, her hand coming to rest upon my forehead. "How long have you been ill?"  
  
I laughed without humor. "I have been thus since I arrived in Master Argo's service."  
  
Her blue eyes widened, startled. "Over a year? That long?"  
  
I shrugged, looking away from those inquisitive eyes. "I never told what they wished to know. Over two weeks of torture, hunger, and beatings does take its toll on someone, Lady." I shrugged again, feeling very uncomfortable. "I do not wish to speak of it."  
  
I felt those sapphire eyes scrutinizing me. Finally I heard her draw a soft breath. "What made you choose Argo's side, Sky Child?" she asked very softly, almost hesitant. She had already asked me that question, but I think she knew I was not truly truthful.  
  
My eyes still refused to meet hers. "Revenge. It was to revenge my family who was betrayed and slaughtered. I did not find out until after my torture that I was protecting those that betrayed me into Master Argo's hands." I sighed, turning my face upward. "I never gave him nor Sasaki Kujuurou the information."  
  
I felt her soft fingertips brush against my flushed cheek and I barely restrained the flinch that wanted to come out. Her voice was even softer as she ran wet fingers across my forehead.  
  
"Why is it you refer to him by his true name?"  
  
I glanced at her eyes, and then looked away. "For reasons."  
  
I felt her watching me, contemplating me before she turned away and went to a small box she kept on her desk. My eyes turned back to look at her, watching her slender fingers open the box and pull out a few velvet bags.  
  
My voice was wary when I finally gathered courage to ask her. "What is within those bags?"  
  
She looked over her shoulder at me and I saw a faint smile on her lips. "Something to help you." She turned back to pulling out the small bags, and finally she found the one she wished it seemed, for, with a wave of her hand, she summoned a cup of tea and added a few leaves and powder from the various bags.  
  
She was intent in her work as I studied her.   
  
I laughed to myself at that thought.  
  
I seemed to be studying her a lot.  
  
She was so different from what her reputation portrayed. I was so sure she was another woman save for that first incident in the sparring grounds. That is the only thing that made me wary of her and how to be around her.  
  
Shinare was for all intents and purposes, a kind woman. It was almost impossible for me to reconcile the twin images of that vicious creature I had heard about and this gentle, caring woman in front of me.  
  
She returned, holding out the black pottery for me to take. With a gentle smile and a slight push of her hand, she was telling me that she wanted me to drink it all.  
  
I sniffed at it cautiously and Shinare almost broke into laughter. "I am not going to hurt you, _ Oni Masho_." A smile tugged at her lips. "If I wanted you hurt or dead, you would have been so by now."  
  
I could not help but smile at her knowing the truth of what she said. "I trust you, Shinare." A smile widened on my lips. "Perhaps more than I should."  
  
She laughed out right then, bending forward to catch herself with her hands on her thighs. I drank some of the tea she made as I watched her honey hair slide over her shoulder as she laughed.  
  
Shinare was beautiful when she laughed. Too bad she did it so infrequently.   
  
I arched an eyebrow as she straightened up for some air, and when she saw my face; she broke out into gales of laughter again.  
  
Taking my time finishing off the tea she gave me, I waited out her laughing fit with infinite patience. After all, it's not every day the Mistress of Death laughs. 


	4. Seduction?

Title: Seduction is a Fine Art - Part 4  
  
Rating: PG-13 - O_o?! I wrote something that's rated PG-13?! *faints*  
  
Series: Yoriden Samurai Troopers/Ronin Warriors  
  
Characters: Sh'ten/Anubis and original.  
  
Notes: I deliberately cut this off and I know I'll get objects thrown at me. *laughs* But there's a reason. I promise, and if you really want the lemon. I'll write it. *smiles*  
  
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Seduction is a Fine Art - Part 4  
  
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First and foremost, I am a warrior, a sorcerer, and lastly, a woman.  
  
My name is Arion Rue.  
  
Ironically, I was named as if I were male. My parents were ashamed that their only child was a daughter, thus, they named me Arion. Rue is exactly what it is: regret.  
  
They were ashamed of me. Thus, from the time I could walk I was raised as a male. I was taught to fight, to follow the Cipher of Verve.  
  
It was a hard life. I never had a moment to rest from the intense training of what my father chose to put me into. I had to become a Death Knight to bring honor to my father, the king.  
  
To be a Death Knight, one must kill. I always found that strange when a Death Knight was supposed to uphold life.  
  
So strange that I have started to question what indeed, if ever, I stood for.  
  
I felt the smooth skin beneath my cheek move with the gentle rising and falling of breath and I sighed. My fingers followed the smooth muscles to the soft strands of hair that had fallen over a shoulder.  
  
The candles bathed the room in a soft light, and I wrapped a few of the strands around my fingers, lifting it to the soft glow.  
  
The hair was wreathed in a reddish-gold halo where the light touched.  
  
It was hard for me to fathom my feelings, my actions, why I was even here. My fingers gently flipped back the strands that I held to gently rest upon the warm flesh of a shoulder as I pushed my face into the crook of the neck, snuggling my body tighter against the warm body beside me.  
  
I have though much about the situation, and more often of what prophecy has foretold. That is the true reason why I am under Argo's command. Prophecy has told me that I shall find my peace in war, and in truth, I have… to a degree.  
  
I am content to stay here, within strong and warm arms and ignore the rest of the world.  
  
With another sigh, I turned my body so that my chin rested upon the soft rising and falling chest so I could see his face.  
  
His eyes were closed and his eyelashes swept soft shadows against his high, strong cheek. His thin nose exhaled his breath while his slim lips inhaled.  
  
I loved to watch him sleep, as his lovely eyes would twitch at times, as would his lips when he was caught up in his dream.  
  
Basically, I loved to lie there and memorize his features. I knew I would not see them as long as I wished, so I often willed myself to remember the soft slope of his jaw until it came to the sharp point of his chin.  
  
I could often tell you how he acted even with my eyes closed. His actions were memorized and seared into my memory, into my very soul.  
  
How could I ever tell him that I would die and his hatred and bitterness would raise its ugly head once more and dominate him for a hundred years?  
  
I could not. I kept that information to my own soul and heart, keeping the devastating information to myself.  
  
I did not want him to think of things that could not possibly be avoided.  
  
His eyelids fluttered and I saw them pull back to reveal slightly groggy slate colored eyes.  
  
His hand, the one that was not upon my shoulder, fell over his eyes as he groggily asked, "Is it time to start our training again?"  
  
I smiled softly, my index finger stroking the soft cheek. "No, it is the middle of the night, Oni."  
  
He groaned and dropped his hand on his belly. "Why was I woken up, then?"  
  
"I do not know. Perhaps you feel guilty about tossing me in that lovely lake when you very well know I cannot swim."  
  
I saw the corners of his lips threaten to tug upward. "But you look so cute as a drowned shrew… you know you are a shrew too."  
  
I rolled my eyes and rolled out of the bed, wrapping my outer kimono around my shoulders.  
  
He laughed slightly as he rolled over, his hand catching mine as I grasped my obi. "You know you could sleep better if you got rid of that cumbersome leather."  
  
I frowned down at him. "It is not cumbersome to me, and it actually feels like it is part of my skin. I do not wish to show you some things that evidently you would like to see."  
  
He sighed and rolled onto his back to stretch, much like a sedated wild cat. "I understand scars, Shinare," he said in the taught quite. "I understand why you would be shamed of those scars."  
  
I felt my back stiffen. "It is not as simple as that, _Oni Masho._" I could almost feel the wince that crossed his features. I sighed slightly through my nose. "I apologize. I have no reason to snap at you like that."  
  
I jumped when I felt soft fingertips brush aside the hair that fell over my face. I did not hear him move. His slightly calloused hands tipped my chin forward, and he smiled sadly. "I understand far more than you would think, Shinare."  
  
My body trembled badly as I felt his soft lips brush against my own. His strong hand slipped around my waist and held me gently to him as his lips gently coaxed mine apart.  
  
His soft lips slanted over mine gently, and I let out a choked gasp as his fingers started to knead my hips.  
  
I was lost within this fog as I felt the gentle tugging of his hands, coaxing me to come back to the bed with him.  
  
Could I be any more helpless within the onslaught of so many new emotions?  
  
Possibly not, but for some reason, instead of resisting and pulling away, I allowed him to pull me closer to him as he lowered me back among the pillows.  
  
His soft lips found the column of my neck and softly kissed it while I threaded my hand through his hair.  
  
I felt him pull away from me gently as he rested his weight on one of his elbows above me. His fingers traced my lip gently.  
  
"You have nothing to fear, Shinare…"  
  
I looked deeply into his eyes and saw the spark of something within, something that I knew I would be safe within.  
  
I never once questioned the little voice in my head as I nodded my head and brought him up for another kiss…


	5. Pain and Sorrow

Title: Seduction is a Fine Art - Part 5  
  
Rating: PG-13 - O_o?! I wrote something that's rated PG-13?! *faints*  
  
Series: Yoriden Samurai Troopers/Ronin Warriors  
  
Characters: Sh'ten/Anubis and original.  
  
Notes: This is a tear jerker! It was really hard for me to write it *sighs* But I'll tell you now it's got a happy ending, so don't fret too much.  
  
Translation of the Japanese:  
  
"Atashi no yariki nara ai ga... kimi ni totte da yo..." - My endless love is only for you."  
  
"Suki da" - very, very, very loosely translated "I love you"  
  
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Seduction is a Fine Art - Part 5  
  
------------------------------------------------  
  
"It was fated that I would not live to fully enjoy my life…"  
  
Those words echo in my ears even now as I sit in meditation.  
  
She had been wounded badly in one of the raids we did every once in a great while on people who still would not submit to Master Argo.  
  
I still shake my head in wonderment when I remember what she did.  
  
She stood there, a placid expression on her face as an old samurai ran her through. She did not even flinch as she reached out and grabbed the man's face in her hands, and it seemed instantly, he was disengaged into black ash.  
  
Her lips went up in a smirk as she pulled the sword out of her body with no reaction. She seemed… resolute about what had happened.  
  
Almost as if she knew…  
  
This wound, however, did not incapacitate her, but seemed to drive her forward with more fury. I thought nothing of it as she whipped her sword through throngs of people.  
  
It bothered me, in a way, to see her so vicious. Yet I knew she was called the Mistress of Death, so it should not have surprised me. I suppose it was because I saw that she had a different side, a side I was starting to recognize as her.  
  
After all was said and done, the wound was far more severe than we first believed.  
  
She had collapsed after the last opponent was destroyed, and her eyes remained closed until we brought her back to Master Argo's palace.  
  
Shinare smiled at me, her hand gently brushing my hair out of my face. She then said the words that would forever change me, and I think she understood it as well.  
  
"It was fated that I would not live to fully enjoy my life, Oni. I am indeed sorry that I have kept something vitally important from you, but I know you well now, and I know you would rage against the fates, trying to seek a solution that cannot be found.  
  
"When I was younger it was ordained, within the books of prophecy, that I would die before I truly began to live. I never found out the meaning to that until recently with you.  
  
"My key would be my death. That is why I wept when you allowed me to speak freely, Oni." She drew in a painful breath and smiled again at me before she continued. "I was a warrior, raised as a man due to my father's biased will against women. He wanted a son to succeed him. I, however, was a woman. I was raised as a man, fought like a man, and was trained to have no feelings."  
  
She sighed quietly. "I know now what my mother met when she told me I was slowly killing myself." She shook herself slightly before she looked intently at me. "Please do not think that this can, or could have been avoided.  
  
"I am not meant to live with you as I would enjoy, as I would wish. You must accept that we will one day meet again in our afterlife, and we shall find our happiness there."  
  
Her hand's pressure became tight. "Please promise me not to allow your cruelty to dominate you." There were tears in her eyes as she said this last part. "Please tell me that you will harbor no ill will towards my death."  
  
A silver tear dripped down her face. My free hand trembled as it wiped the wetness away.  
  
"Shinare, you know my feelings." I brought her hand to my face and pushed my cheek against her palm. "Is there no other way?" I placed her hand against my chest beneath the folds of my kimono, and brought my now free hand up to trace the smooth lines of her face, my index finger gently running along her lips.  
  
She watched me for a few seconds then closed her eyes, her tears falling down her cheeks.  
  
What I felt of my heart broke in that instant. That utter look of pain and vulnerability that flashed on her face tore at me.  
  
I watched her for a few seconds before I sat beside her on our shared bed and leaned over her. I brushed kisses over her face and this only made her sob harder.  
  
Shinare leaned her face against my cheek, and I felt her cool, tear-slicked cheek against my own flushed skin. Weakly, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me close to her, tugging me to be beside her.  
  
Finally I obliged, allowing her to roll on her side. She pushed her face against my neck as I wrapped my arms around her, my fingers gently stroking her temple.  
  
My fingers trailed from the soft honey hair down to her chin and softly stroked her shoulder through her loose kimono.  
  
"Shinare," I whispered softly into her ear. "Atashi no yariki nara ai ga... kimi ni totte da yo..."  
  
I felt her lips curve in a soft smile as she drew a rattling breath.  
  
"Suki da, Shuten Doji."  
  
I felt her sigh, and then she went still.  
  
I lay there for a while, my arms wrapped around her still warm body, as I buried my face into her honey gold locks.  
  
I tried to weep for her, but no tears would come.  
  
Later on, the rest of the Masho and I carried her out to the surrounding countryside in a solemn procession. Specifically we took her body to the one place where there still was life within the youjakai.  
  
It was a small clearing on the edge of a brilliant blue lake, and as we all built her pyre, we sang and prayed softly.  
  
For once we were all of one mind and agreement, our objections pushed aside as well as our anger.  
  
We prepared her, as a warrior would be, for indeed she was a great warrior. Her gender was regardless of this.  
  
Finally, everything was prepared, and we placed her upon her pyre and chanted for her soul to return to our gods.  
  
With a soft touch on my shoulder, the others signaled that I should light her pyre. I did so with reluctance to see her body burn to ash, but I knew she found some joy in our beliefs and I would not deny her.  
  
The other Masho and I stayed well into the next day until there was nothing but ash left.  
  
Nazza, Rajura, and Anubisu each touched my shoulder again before they left to say a silent goodbye to her.  
  
I had a feeling that all three of them would not care about anything again…  
  
Neither would I…  
  
I was numb within and I threw myself totally into my training, my fighting, and I ended up becoming Master Argo's right hand.  
  
Her last warning was strange, enigmatic like the rest of her.  
  
Now that I have been freed from Argo's hold by Kaosu, I realized all what she was telling me.  
  
She was right.  
  
I lived in darkness until I was freed.  
  
I only wish I knew the full extent of what she knew about my future…  
  
Often I lay on the ground where I have decided to rest, and I can feel her lying beside me, her heart beat against my own chest. I feel her soft hands against my skin and I try to weep, but still no tears come.  
  
I cannot mourn for that which has not truly left me.  
  
She exists, even only within my heart, soul, and memories…


	6. Dreams Come True

Title: Seduction is a Fine Art - Part 6  
  
Rating: PG-13 - O_o?! I wrote something that's rated PG-13?! *faints*  
  
Series: Yoriden Samurai Troopers/Ronin Warriors  
  
Characters: Sh'ten/Anubis and original.  
  
Notes: this is the END! HURAH!!! *giggles*  
  
------------------------------------------------  
  
Seduction is a Fine Art - Part 6  
  
------------------------------------------------  
  
My little hide away was well concealed. I loved to just sit here in the bright sunshine by my seeing pool and just close my eyes to remember.  
  
Remember what human contact felt like. Everyone here, specifically one of them, is a creator.  
  
They are something well above me. In a way, they are our gods.  
  
I find it funny now that I am here how wrong thoughts I had were. Well, some things. Not all of what I thought of the world was wrong.  
  
The other funny thing I noticed was that my features were reincarnated in another woman. That I found totally hysterical. Here I thought I was the only one who looked like I did.  
  
Funny. Yeah… Funny.  
  
I leaned my head back against the stone of the pool and thought.  
  
I had started off trying to ruin the young Masho, but I ended up falling for him. Did he intentionally try to seduce me? No. I don't think he did. Perhaps unintentionally, but not consciously… at least that is what I believe.  
  
Sighing, I rolled over, flopping into the grass with a soft whisper of silk against blades. I lay there for several minuets or hours, I knew not which, nor did I care.  
  
Closing my eyes, I try to remember my soul as it was before I passed into another world.  
  
For a very short time, I was complete.  
  
I remember the soft touches of fingertips against my face or my wrist, or the soft brush of warm lips against my cheek when I did something he considered 'kawaii'.  
  
My lips quirked into a smile as I remembered the first time he did so. I was so indignant that he grabbed my cheeks and kissed my forehead for saving a small little mouse from the huge feet of guards.  
  
He smiled at me when he saw the little gray mouse sitting on my shoulder sniffing my ear. As I looked at him, he laughed and walked closer to me. He gently gripped my cheeks and bent my face lower as he kissed my forehead.  
  
"Kawaii," he said softly…  
  
Right before I hit him.  
  
After he got up off the floor, he dusted himself off and started to laugh.  
  
I sighed again and put my arm over my face.  
  
The wind was a soft breeze that cooled the heat of the sun as I started to fall asleep.  
  
"Shinare."  
  
I blinked slightly as I looked up in the sky, confused.  
  
I swore I heard my name. I shrugged slightly, closing my eyes again to feel the warm sunshine.  
  
A few minuets later, I heard my name again.  
  
"Shinare."  
  
I sighed, dismissing it as sheer nonsense. I wanted to believe it so badly I was hallucinating.  
  
"Shinare…"  
  
It was a soft whisper now, and I closed my eyes tightly. I did not want to open my eyes because I knew it would be an illusion.  
  
I jumped and screeched when I felt soft fingertips brushing against my cheek.  
  
My eyes flew wide and I stared in shock.  
  
"Shuten…?"  
  
I saw those perfect lips move up into a smile.  
  
I flung my arms around his neck and held him close as I cried.  
  
"Shinare… I love you…"  
  
I held him tighter as we sat beside my seeing pool, as we both cried in the gentle breeze and warm sunlight.  
  
He pulled back as he looked deeply into my eyes before he smiled again and caught my lips with his in a very gentle kiss.  
  
We were together again…  
  
Complete…  
  
Forever…


End file.
